Björn, Frida and ITV want your ABBA vote!
The pair formed one half of the Swedish supergroup and achieved nine number one hit singles in Britain alone.
They’ve teamed up to record a series of revealing interviews about their heyday for a forthcoming show on British network ITV – and they also want Abba fans to vote for their most beloved track to form part of a countdown on the programme.
Lyngstad says, "Discussing all of our singles was great fun. There are many fond memories – memories about writing the songs, recording and promoting and performing them."
Ulvaeus adds, "We’re all curious and excited to see which songs appear where in the countdown. The British people took us to their hearts, completely… and made us their own, which we are very proud of. It’s very nice to come to England because it’s like going home."
The show will air in the U.K. later this year (2010). See the ITV link below in order to vote.
Thanks to John T for the news.
Sounds so good but why any all four appear together and sing,
Voting for my favourite abba song will be difficult as there are so many good ones, and I keep changing my mind , but at the moment I think it has to be thank you for the music, it worked so well on the abba world official video, I have a feeling though that some of the songs from the visitors and the day before you came will be higher up the chart than some people would expect,
Can’t wait! yet more ABBA treats, will it never end? I sincerely hope not! Just want to hear confirmation of Kristina coming to the West End and my life will be complete….
The Winner Takes It All
ONE ! !difficult as there are so many good ones
Should be interesting to hear Bjorn and Frida giving their comments on each song.
A shame Angeleyes isn’t on the list though.I always thought it was really the UK A side of the Voulez Vous single as it got played most seeing the list is the UK singles.
Even if you all like it PLEASE don’t vote for Dancing Queen! I know its a favourite but wouldn’t it be nice to have lesser known tracks appear.Let’s all vote for Just Like That (or if thats a lost cause, oohh, er, um, Move ON!
oops! Just read it. Got to be a single. Ok, still don;t choose Dancing Queen. Got to be The Day before you came.
That was so so hard – even with 5 votes, its such a personal thing – different events in your life, memories, moods, emotions etc. Looking forward to the show though.
Easy decision for me….The Winner Takes It All.
Incidentally In my comment at the top I didn?t mean why any ,
I meant why cant all four appear and sing,
It sounds like an exciting show with Bjorn and Freda.
@ Michael,
The reason why all four won’t appear and sing is because ABBA is no longer an "active" group. We live with the great songs and memories! The group is no more RIP!
I have voted for super trouper. it will be nice to hear Frida’s and Bjorn’s stories on ABBA and their music.
You just KNOW it will be Dancing Queen – so predictable but this IS an ITV audience!
Well I’ve gone for Thankyou for the music. A brilliant song which sums it all up really! Talking of Thankyou for the music, which was also the title of the Hyde Park tribute concert last year. I take it there won’t be a DVD release of this event as originally hoped? Does anybody know?
Definitely a show not to be missed, methinks a perfect match for Xmas telly …
Anyway, my all-time top Abba top five goes like this (and has stayed as such for years), which makes the nr1 song a pretty obvious choice for me…
1- Winner Takes It All
2- Dancing Queen
3 – Super Trouper
4 – The Day Before You Came
5 – One of Us
Hope Bjorn and Frida will tell "behind the scenes" unheard-of song info.
For me Abba have always been a part of who I am in my daily life. For this reason I voted for, ‘ The Day Before You Came ‘, the tale of the banality and drama in anybody’s life, left with the tingling sensation of what might have been or could still be!
The last time there was a public vote in the UK, The Winner Takes It All was voted the most popular song beating DQ. I can’t remember which programme this was for but no doubt someone will remember it.
Jason
In no particular order
When One of use first came out I really liked it, but I remember thinking the drum and base were to loud,
How dare I think an ABBA song needed adjusting , when I hear it now its one of there most perfect creations,
Thank you for the music?s is just increasable the mandolins the synthesised classical motif the panoramic choral sounding vocals, a more perfect piece of music could not be produced,
The winner takes it all
The melodic melencalic vocals with an uplifting drive, and when Benny and Bjorn mix there own voices in to the backing vocals you get that incredible panoramic depth with the piano adding the final master stroke.
Gimme Gimme Gimme ,
Synthesised folksy tin whistle with classical motifs to a disco beat and immaculate intonation of the vocal make this on of ABBAs best songs.
I only can see 25 songs.
My favorites beside "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "The Name Of The Game" are:
1) When I Kissed The Teacher
2) Gonna Sing You My Lovesong
3) One Man, One Woman
4) Get On The Caroussel
5) Should I Laugh Or Cry
My fav has always been Take A Chance…
Back in the 70s I always used to listen to radio luxembourg in bed at night. One night, I turned the radio on just as the first word of the record started ‘If you change your….’ I seem to recall my heart thumping away in my chest with such a fantastic sense of exitement at the same time.I knew who it was of course. It turned out that it was that weeks ‘Power play’ – which meant on the hour every hour. I was 15 at the time, and no good in school at all for the whole week. I stayed awake until the last play, which I think was 3am, every night that week, before the station closed down for the night.
Then, on the saturday morning – they played it (video)on Swopshop. It’s so easy to get side tracked into thinking this one, or that one, but whenever TACOM comes on, with that first openiong line, I know which one it is for me.
Really looking forward to the prog. Is it a definate that only Bjorn and Frida were involved??
Russ
Dancing Queen is the most recognizable ABBA song anywhere. Many of the songs on this list, and some equally great songs not on the list, NEVER get played. Radio stations just will not play them even if you call in a request. While I will vote for a couple of the other songs, I must say that Dancing Queen should be the winner for this contest. It is great that we keep getting something new from ABBA just to keep the flame going.
Thank you.
JB
It should be pointed out, as Ian Cole has done on his ABBA World blog that the choice of song is limited to UK singles with a video.
Ice
There is no way one can pin an ABBA song down to number one. I think "Dancing Queen" comes as close as any of ABBA’s hits to reach for that position though. The vocal spectrum from the girls in that song was jaw dropping and they pulled it off with amazing precision. My next choice would be ABBA’s Holy Grail, it would have been a hit in the UK had they ever released it. It’s so exciting to see ABBA engaged again. Nothing but smiles from me! Robb
I personally just chose ‘The Winner Takes It All’ because at the moment it is my favorite song. I know I should have pondered over this for a couple of days, but I am tired.
Whatever the comments above about Dancing Queen being a forgone conclusion and the plea not to vote for it (colinthebruce)it has always been my favourite song and so I am voting for it.
If we get to choose 5 then I am also voting for
-Gimme Gimme Gimme
-Lay all your love on me (no ones mentioned this)
-SOS
and I am still deciding the 5th as there are too many to choose
The single that never was…at least in the UK… ‘When all is said and done’. That would be top of my list followed by Fernando and KMKY…um maybe a lead singer theme here?
When is the prog due to air? Christmas?
It´s not a single, and i can´t vote because i´m not in UK 🙁
But i can vote here in icethesite :))
My vote goes to:
I Let the Music Speak! (even though not a single!)
I Love this song!!!
I let the music speak is one of my favourites as well, I would also vote for the Eagle but that?s not on the list either.
How very exciting!!!!! It’s a shame When All Is Said And Done isn’t on the list though. So I went for Knowing Me, Knowing You
we love all abba songs, but we have decided on dancing queen
My favs are the obvoius 2. Dancing Queen and Knowing Me Knowing You. Other favs are the "love it or hate it" The Day Before You came, I have always loved it. As an album The Visitors is great, Soldiers, Like an angel passing Through My Room and slipping through y Fingers. SOS and Gimme gimme gimme are favourites too. How do we choose?
They are all brilliant in their different ways but the favourite for me is The Winner takes it All.
I hope everyone that’s eligible and wants to is actually voting using the ‘Vote here’ link above (under Related link)!
my favourite song is winner takes it all
It has to be Dancing Queen, its such a great song it always get people up at parties and is a feel good song
I have found it very difficult to choose just 5 songs from all of ABBA Tracks, But my choice has got to be, Voulez-Vous, Waterloo, Eagle, One Man One Woman, and When all is said and done. Thank You ABBA. For the music and the great times that went with it.
So many memories of so many hits. Take A Chance On Me…the first Abba single (infact first ever Abba vinyl at all) I bought. I played it so much it sounded scratched. Chiquitita, I remember I only ever heard the second verse and chorus whenever I put the radio on. The Winner Takes It All, in a clothes shop in Southend when Radio 1 announced the new No.1 single. Super Trouper, I was in a school play and saw it on TOP of The Pops back stage… so many memories and so many favourites.
I hope that this will air sometime in the US/Honolulu, HI…My top five would be as follows:
5 As Good as New
4 King Kong Song
3 Summer Night City
2 I’ve been waiting for you
and no 1 is KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU
The program sounds like it will be a lot of fun
Aloha!
Hello John…
If the voting wasn’t confined to single releases only, my choice would be….
1.Take a chance on me
2.Dancing Queen
3.If it wasn’t for the nights
4.As good as new
5.Move on
The pro sounds like it could be good fun, especially with a track by track comment from 1/2 the group.
Something else ABBA, to look forward to this year!
no doubt at all, The Day Before You Came a real classic, and the the best song they ever wrote.
Russell – You like 3 of the Album Tracks that
I always felt were missed chances for No.1
Singles.
ABBA had 5 Top 5 Hits in the Uk in 1979, but
not one of them was a no.1. I’m 100% certain
that ‘As Good As New’ was No.1 material, but
it was left on ‘Voulez Vous’. ‘Move On’, would
have been huge in 1978, but ABBA took a long
time to follow-up ‘Take A Chance On Me, in the
Uk, Ireland etc. Some Countries got ‘Eagle’, to
fill the gap. ‘Move On’should have been released.
‘IF It Wasn’;t For The Nights’ was another
potental No.1 that was left on ‘Voulez Vous’.
Expect the Singles on ‘Gold’ to do best in
the ITV1 Poll. It has sold almost 4,800,000 in
the Uk – the 3rd biggest UK Album ever. ‘More
Gold’ has sold around 400,000 here – so the
Tracks on it are far less well known. The UK
Singles on that CD will get less Votes.
With Downloads added in, (since 2005), the
Top 12 Best Selling UK ABBA Singles are:,
(This List is from the Official Charts Company)
1. Dancing Queen – Sold 1,100,000
2. Knowing Me Knowing You – Sold 845,000
3. Super Trouper – Sold 815,000
4. Fernando – Sold 775,000
5. Take A Chance On Me – Sold 705,000
6. The Name Of The Game – Sold 700,000
7. The Winner Takes It All – Sold 620,000
8. Chiquitita – Sold 575,000
9. I Have A Dream – Sold 570,000
10. Waterloo – Sold 510,000
11. Mamma Mia – Sold 505,000
12. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) – Sold 490,000
Colin…
again, thanks for that. I was genuinely surprised to see Winner so far down the list.
Cheers
For UK ABBA Fans ‘The Nation’s Favourite ABBA Song’, is on ITV1, on Sunday – December 5th, from 9pm to 10.30pm.
For some reason STV’s ITV1 are NOT showing it. (STV = Scottish TV), although it is being shown on ITV1 on Border TV, which covers part of Southern Scotland.
ITV1 are already showing TV Adverts to promote the Show. The Advert can best be seen, by watching ITV1 from about 6.55pm to 9pm, each evening.